


Don't You Get Bored (Of Them Giving You Nothing?)

by starrysuga



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band), Triple H (Korea Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Soundcloud Rapper Dawn / Hairdresser Hyuna / Bartender Hui, tags will be updated with new chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 10:56:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18798949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrysuga/pseuds/starrysuga
Summary: When Hyojong (professionally unemployed soundcloud rapper) lands a gig at the Pentagon, a dive bar with an uncharacteristically cute bartender, he doesn't expect much. A whirlwind hair appointment with the prettiest girl hes ever seen (who may or may not be a goddess in disguise) and yet another run in with the purple haired boy of his dreams (who seems surprisingly into him?) finally culminates in the most unorthodox and intense relationship he's ever been involved in.





	Don't You Get Bored (Of Them Giving You Nothing?)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from the song Flowerball by The Wombats, which I would definitely recommend listening to in order to enhance your reading experience! Really most of the Glitterbug album was my writing soundtrack so it's very tonally fitting.

The text on his screen was starting to blur when Hyojong finally pushed the chair away from his desk with a sigh. Leaning back, he stretched his arms towards the ceiling, wincing at the resounding crack that followed. The violent glare of his clock told him it had been approximately three hours since his last break, and despite the lack of progress he had made in that time, his mouth was currently comparable to the Sahara Desert. Wobbling to his feet, he blinked into the darkness of his room as his eyes adjusted. Finally deeming it safe enough to traverse the wasteland of his floor, Hyojong picked his way across the carnage of clothes and other accumulated miscellaneous bullshit out of the doorway towards the kitchen.

Fishing his phone out, he tapped sleepily through apps before opening twitter and sending a quick reply to Yuto. In a fit of irritation, he'd turned to the younger for help with a track that was giving him trouble. Unfortunately, they'd both come to the same conclusion: the chorus needed secondary vocals, preferably from a singer rather than a rapper, preferably falsetto. As it stood, Hyojong knew exactly zero non rap-oriented vocalists and he had no idea how to get his hands on one. For now, it seemed, the song was a bust.

Shuffling back to his desk, he dropped into his chair, once again resuming the slouched posture that he had been assured would have him paralysed by fifty. If he was finally going to accept that there would be no finishing of his final song for the time being ... well, he had what could pass for a complete tracklist. To be fair, he'd already whipped up some cover art (clipart genius babey) and finalised the order of the songs, but he'd really wanted to sneak that final song in. Scrubbing a hand across his eyes, he shoved any regrets aside as he closed out of the piece. He'd promised his listeners new music this month, and he was never going to truly be happy with it all anyway. Better to cut his losses while he was ahead.

Navigating to google, he waited for his email to load up, hoping against all odds that someone had suddenly discovered him and offered a million dollar record deal. 'Four unread messages' blinked back at him from the screen. Pinterest letting him know someone had repinned an image, Twitter telling him his request for verification had been rejected, what seemed to be a creepy fan who had somehow located his address, and a spam advertisement for penis enlargement pills. The last one got saved - y'know, just in case - and the other three went straight into the trash.

Apparently this whole 'internet fame' thing wasn't all it was cut out to be. You'd think fifteen thousand soundcloud listeners would be enough for a guy to eat, but unfortunately releasing music for free didn't lend itself to much in the way of profit. He needed ... to do something more. As much as Hyojong enjoyed sitting around burning candles in a dark room in the hope some passing god would mistake it for an offering and take pity on him, it wasn't a long term solution. With a groan, he let his head smack into his keyboard. He needed a gig. He needed actual people to see him perform and pay him actual money for it.

A few more moments of self pity, and he finally dragged himself from the chair, headphones discarded on the desk behind him. It was already almost eleven, but luckily he lived in a skeevy enough area of town that there was at least a solid ten bars within walking distance. The temptation to mosey out in the same clothes he'd been wearing for the last 48 hours was overwhelming, but he cobbled together the energy to pull on a clean white shirt and jeans. Grabbing a backpack, he shoved a few demo CDs into the front pocket, stuffing the main compartment with a spare sweater - and then he was off.

The first destination, of course, was the dive bar a few streets down. Hyojong managed to stroll through the doors with nothing but a nod to the bouncer - either a testament to his status as a regular, or the complete lack of security this place maintained. His target was sat behind the bar cleaning glasses with a bored expression on his face. It wasn't until Hyojong raised a lazy hand in a wave and called out that he stood up straighter, glass placed onto the counter.

 

"Yo, Yanan,"

As usual, the younger maintained his tsundere facade, scowling as Hyojong settled into a stool across from him. "What are you doing here? You have work tomorrow, don't you?"

Reaching out to try and pinch his cheek - an attempt that was easily swatted away - Hyojong cooed at him.

"Aww, you remembered? I'm so flattered ~...I'm not here for drinks though. I need a gig. Like, y'know ... rap shit." With a wide smile he fluttered his eyelashes, fully aware that this was doing little for his case but powerless to resist the urge.

 

It was a futile move regardless; Yanan was already shaking his head.

"Sorry dude, you should know by now we don't do live performances here. And before you try and convince me to ask the boss or something, you _know_ I'm already on thin fucking ice after that stunt we pulled with the mackerel."

Despite the dire stakes, Hyojong couldn't help but snort at the memory. It did seem, however, that it had betrayed him once again. Mentally mapping out the other potential venues in this neighbourhood he tried to plot his best course of action.

Fuck, this was going to be a long night.

"On second thoughts, I need a drink Give me whatever as long as I don't have to pay for it."

 

Yanan's scowl didn't falter for a second as he moved to comply, all the while mumbling about 'entitled bastards' under his breath. The drink he produced was foul, but the burn of alcohol in the back of his throat had Hyojong up and out of his seat before he knew it. With a wave goodbye, he was slipping out the door once again, continuing down the pavement to the next bar.

The ensuing bar crawl was among the least enjoyable he'd ever been a participant in. It seemed, unfortunately, that live entertainment was a dead art. Everyone either wasn't interested, already had acts booked, or just didn't like the cut of his jib. Hyojong could handle an above average level of rejection, but even he was starting to feel beat down.

He was just about to throw in the towel and head home when he spotted a telltale flash of neon down the next street. Shuffling a few steps closer brought a flickering sign into view, bright purple lights spelling out 'Pentagon' across the top of the building. The bouncer out the front looked half asleep and the clientele sauntering through the doors certainly weren't the best Seoul had to offer, but the windows were clean enough and there were no suspicious smells. Fuck it, he'd check out this place and then just head home and sleep. It's not like yet another denial could hurt him at this point anyway.

 

☆★☆

 

There's only so many times that a drink can be spilt on a surface before the stickiness is irremovable. As it stands, the counter is about three years too far gone and regardless of the amount of elbow grease Hwitaek puts behind the rag, he's realised there's no budging it. As it stands, the cleaning is more performative, something to entertain himself with rather than dwelling on how little interest he has in his job. It doesn't last long, yet another group of women piling onto stools as soon as the previous tenants depart. They're loud and glittering, bright coloured dresses sparkling in the club lights. Placing his cloth to the side and pasting on a smile, Hwitaek leant forward, attentive even before one of them speaks. He may not like his job, but he can't afford to do it poorly; it wouldn't still with him well even if he could.

The group ordered an array of complicatedly fruity cocktails that he made almost 95% correctly, contemplating just how it was he ended up here as he crushed a banana into a glass. It had been a vast array of bad decisions made on the provisory of his parents approval that had rapidly snowballed out of his control. First it was telling them he was off to study business in Seoul to impress them, next thing he knew it was four years later and he was graduating with a degree he had never actually enjoyed, as the reality of the fact that he had just committed to this for the rest of his life bore down on him. That had been two years ago - looking for work in the business sector hadn't gone so well, perhaps due to a complete and utter lack of motivation. The bar was meant to be a side job, something to tide him over until he found more permanent work. And yet - somehow it was more appealing than the thought of working the 9 to 5 in a cubicle so that some rich guy could take the credit for it.

Even as he exchanged yet another icy glass for a slightly damp card, brushing off the fluttering of eyelashes the woman responsible sent his way, he still couldn't find it in himself to fully regret the decision. At least with this job, there was still ... variety. Even if it was of the somewhat torrid sort.

He was pulled from his musing by the telltale screech of another stool across the floor, barely audible over the ruckus the 'band' in the corner was currently producing. Spinning on his heel, he took in the sight of their newest client. Bundled up in a dark hoodie as he was, elbows on the counter and chin tucked into his chest, he didn't seem like the typical mid-week partygoer. His gaze was lazy as he glanced around, blonde hair falling into his field of vision, even as he reached to push it back. He hadn't even seemed to notice Hwitaek in front of him, even as the bartender shifted a step closer.

 

"Hi, can I get you anything to drink today?"

That got a reaction out of him, head snapping around surprisingly fast. At this angle, Hwitaek could get a better look at his face - heavy hooded eyes and thin lips framed within a jawline so pointed it looked almost painful. He was ... cute, maybe? Blinking like he'd been asked about his thoughts on the economic crisis, rather than his poison of choice. It seemed to take a few more moments for him to realise Hui was still waiting for an answer before he coughed, cheeks pinking slightly.

"Uh, just a ... rum and coke."

 

He didn't seem too sure about his choice but Hui wasn't going to argue otherwise, so he turned to grab a clean glass, snagging the rum from beneath the counter as he went. At least this was one he could make without second guessing himself. It was barely a minute before he was setting it down before the man behind the bar, taking the proffered handful of cash.

Usually, that would be it, and he made to move towards the customers at the other end of the bar, but the blonde guy was raising a hand, awkwardly signalling Hwitaek's attention back towards him. Pausing mid step, he made an about turn to approach the other once again. He seemed to be digging around in his bag for something, and next thing Hui knew, he'd dropped what seemed to be a CD on the bar surface.

 

"I didn't actually come in here for a drink. I'm a rapper - this is some of my recent stuff, and my info is in there," - he flicked open the case to reveal a scrap of paper covered in messy handwriting as he continued - "and I'm looking to do some more shows in the neighborhood. I can play for free, at first. And like, any day."

Hui just stared at the CD case for a few seconds, trying to process the weirdly specific volume of information he had been given. But then he was pasting on a sunny smile, sliding the disk off the counter as he did so.

"Great! I'll hand this over to the owner and we'll call you if anything comes up!"

 

The rapper gave him a small kind of smile and a nod before sliding out of his stool to scurry off, drink in hand. It was sweet enough that Hui paused before throwing the album straight into the trash, glancing down at the clear plastic. Someone - he assumed rum&coke boy - had scrawled 'Hyojong's mixtape' across the CD in sharpie. Sighing, he shoved it into the pocket of his apron. He'd just take it to Eunkwang later and let him reject it. At least that way, it wasn't his fault.

 

☆★☆

 

The rest of the night was predictably uneventful, and as his shift came to an end Hwitaek was all too ready to head home and collapse into bed. First, however, he had to deal with the square of plastic knocking against his thighs.

Watching as the last few customers trickled through the doorway he let out a huff of air, posture deflating somewhat. A quick glance at his watch told him it was - god - 3am. It was irrational to be surprised by that fact; he'd know exactly when he was due to finish, yet it was still a shock to the system. Ducking out from behind the bar, he glanced down to unclip his nametag as he crossed the floor, heading towards the back room. He sent a few nods to the other staff as he passed; his usual partner, Hongseok, wasn't on shift tonight, but he got along well with most of the employees.

Hyojong's mixtape was set aside as he quickly changed, glad to be free from the pants that he had definitely spilt miscellaneous liquids on throughout the night. Another glance at his watch told him it had already hit twenty past, and he snagged the CD from his locker, shutting the door behind him as he headed out to find the bar's manager. Luckily, there was a steady glow filtering from beneath his door that signaled he was likely still hanging around. With a soft knock, Hui cracked open the door and stepped inside. Eunkwang was indeed seated at his desk, eyebrows furrowed and tongue pointed slightly from the corner of his lips as he scrutinised something on his desk. He looked up, blinking, as Hui walked in, before breaking into a toothy smile.

 

"Hello! Hwitaek, it's nice to see you - what are you still doing here this late?"

In answer, Hui raised the album, stepping forward to offer it to the older man.

"We had someone ask if they could play at the club. He dropped off a CD; I wasn't going to bother you with it, but he seemed a little desperate."

Eunkwang somehow seemed to brighten even further at his words, leaning forward in his chair.

"Wow, really? I know usually we don't accept performers we haven't invited personally, but this is actually really good timing. The girl band who usually comes in - you know, the one with the purple haired drummer? They're all out with some sort of illness and we need a replacement for two days from now. So, could you give that thing a listen and if it's not physically painful to hear then give the guy a call. Tell him we'll pay him the usual rate and all, but he has to be able to play on Tuesday and it's not necessarily an indication of anything permanent."

 

Throughout all this, Hwitaek was nodding, slightly thrown by this turn of events but understanding nonetheless. One of the few appeals of their bar was live music, and if they failed to deliver on that - well, there was very little other reason to stay. As he gave his goodbyes to Eunkwang, he glanced back down at the disk that he was now apparently responsible for. Did he even own a CD player? Well,it was time to find out.

 

☆★☆

 

Apparently, the answer to his question was a resounding 'no.' He had even gone so far as to unpack the few boxes that had been sitting in storage since he first moved into this apartment over two years ago, yet to no avail. It was now 4:30am and Hui was honestly ready to call it a night, but with only two days away until they hypothetically needed this guy to perform, he didn't have time to sleep on the job. Luckily, the scrap of paper he'd glimpsed before seemed to include a link to the guy - Hyojong's - soundcloud, because of course it did, so Hui booted up his laptop, untangled an old pair of earphones and hit play on the first song he saw.

It was something titled 'Do It For Fun' that had what seemed to have a surprisingly huge number of hits. Intrigued, Hui leant back in his chair as the opening beats played out.

Three minutes and ten seconds later, he was left blinking in silence, pleasantly confused. The song was ... good. Really good, actually. He wasn't a rap connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew enough about music to know the song he had just listened to was unusually polished. Hyojong - or 'E'dawn' as his soundcloud proclaimed - seemed surprisingly talented.

Pressing play on the next song on the list, Hwitaek did his best to concentrate more as this one played through, expectations higher than they'd been for the initial track. Again, it was well produced, lyrically and musically interesting. Hyojong's tone was just weird enough to be interesting, nasal erring on the side of whiny but - it worked. Remembering his sharp face and lazy eyes, Hui pieced the two together to find they fit far better than he could have expected.

The third track down was already playing and he barely even flinched despite the slight tonal shift, fingers busy tapping lightly across his thigh. Apparently Eunkwang had made a good call and Hui needed to reassess what he found attractive in a man, because as the song continued to play he found himself struck more and more so by the fact that Hyojong's voice was ... hot. In a weird way.

There was no time to dwell on that revelation, however, because it was 5am and he needed to sleep before he really lost it. Against his better judgement, he tugged out his phone, peering down at the number Hyojong had left. A quick text through to let him know they were more than happy to have him if he could perform on short notice completed his duties for the night, then Hwitaek was closing up his laptop with a yawn. It wasn't until a few minutes later, after he'd changed into pajamas and tumbled into bed, when he reached for his phone to set and alarm and noticed the blinking light that heralded a new text message. Swiping open, he found that Hyojong had replied mere minutes after his initial text.

 

Rapper Guy: thankss !!

Rapper Guy: ur name's Hui right ?

Rapper Guy: i'll see you tuesday Hui

 

With a gentle sigh, Hui placed the phone back on his bedside table, doing his best to ignore the fact that he was suddenly irrationally excited for Tuesday's shift.

 

☆★☆

 

The birds were chirping and the sun was shining and Hyuna's alarm was going off and she _really_ didn't want to wake up yet. Letting out a pained noise, she patted around for the offending device on the bed, slapping at the screen until the racket ceased. It would be all too easy to sink back under the covers, but she forced herself to slowly crack her eyelids open instead. The gap between her curtains already had a shimmering bar of sunlight filtering through, and she wrinkled her nose as she wiggled around on the throne of pillows she built herself each night. She knew she still had a while before she truly had to be up and about - the perk of being self aware regarding ones morning habits was that you could prepare for them. So she was in no rush as she slid from the bed, kicking on her slippers before padding into the bathroom. One clean face later and she was feeling a little more refreshed, flicking on the kettle as she hummed her way through the kitchen.

She had to pick her way across a few miscellaneous garments of clothing that had been abandoned on the floor in order to reach the refrigerator, but she made the trek safely, finally emerging triumphant with milk in hand. Most of her mugs were chipped or otherwise damaged, but Hyuna didn't mind - she'd always thought it gave them a little more character. Plus, she didn't have the budget to be throwing away perfectly good drinking vessels.

Relocating her phone, she tapped through to the calendar app to check on the morning's schedule. It was a fairly relaxed day; only five appointments spread out over eight hours, and even though she appreciated the leisurely pace while working, she could physically sense her bank account dwindling. Brushing her hair back off her shoulder she sighed as she sipped at her coffee. She'd been so excited when she finally got the salon running, but it seemed doomed for failure from the start. Paying double rent was bad enough by itself, and on top of that she had to maintain bills for both her apartment and the salon, while also keeping all the equipment up to date. Honestly, she'd expected the place to be far more successful - she was pretty and popular, who wouldn't want an excuse to talk to her? But apparently people didn't get haircuts all that often, and even though she had a base of loyal regulars, one appointment a month couldn't keep her afloat.

Shaking her head, she tried to pull herself away from that line of thinking. It wasn't the best idea to dwell on ones own inevitable demise so early in the morning. Instead, she busied herself with checking through her email for any new appointments. There was one from a regular confirming their usual slot in a few weeks time, and another from a mother booking for herself and her three young sons; that one would be hectic but good money either way. There was also a third message that had apparently come through at 5am that morning, the subject line listed purely as 'hair???'. Brows rising, Hyuna opened it. The message had been redirected from the form on her website, but the client had clearly struggled somewhat while filling it out.

 

Subject: hair???

Appointment Type: hair.

Name: hyojong

Preferred Date: asap !!

Preferred Times: any after 12pm i think

Additional Comments: this is weird but i need to get my hair fixed before tuesday i can pay extra or somethign

 

She stifled a giggle as she read over it. She'd gotten a few weird booking emails before, but this one might have taken the cake. Making a mental note to reply later when she was free, she set her empty mug down on the counter before swanning off back towards her closet. Sure, things might be shit right now, but apparently she was still doing okay in comparison to some people out there.

The walk to the salon wasn't far - a major part of the reason why she'd finally caved and decided to rent the property - and she arrived with time to spare. Unlocking the front door every morning still gave her a nice little burst of pride. This was _her_ store, and she had done it all by herself. The inside was simplistic but cute, an unfortunate casualty of budgeting being that she was unable to fully realise her vision for the interior. She wasn't unhappy with it though, not by any stretch of the imagination. Soft cream walls and large front windows created an airy space, the ceiling decorated with hanging arrangements of pink flowers and tastefully gilded mirrors running the full length of the right wall. She'd love to get a few more couches and a nicer reception counter for herself installed, but that was a dream that could wait. Even as it was, Lip & Hip Hairdressing and Makeup salon was perfect.

She flicked on the radio, jumping through channels until she landed on some upbeat girl group song. Humming along, she set about the morning tasks. Luckily, she didn't have to entertain herself for long before the doorbell was jingling as her first customer made their way inside, and then it was down to business, all worries about finances pressed aside. It wasn't until she had break between clients over lunch that she remembered the strange email, pulling out her phone to double check it hadn't been some sort of early morning hallucination. It was still there, however, and despite thinking better of it for a few moments, she quickly typed up a quick reply letting this 'Hyojong' know that she was available if they could come in after hours tonight. Firmly hitting the send button before she could rethink her choices, she dusted off her trousers and slid her phone back into a pocket. They'd said they were willing to pay extra and well ... it couldn't hurt. Honestly, it was unlikely she'd even get a reply.

Mystery client surprised her, however, her phone buzzing with an email confirming the appointment barely two hours later. Doing her best not to second guess her choices, she quickly added the new information to her calendar. After that, it was a few seconds in the mirror to tuck her hair behind her ears and straighten her skirt before she was right back into it. The next few hours seemed to rush by, a blur of lipsticks and curling irons, until Hyuna was finally waving her goodbyes to the (second) last client of the night. The unfortunate vagueness of her last minute hair booking meant she wasn't sure what was safe to pack up, but she busied herself tidying makeup supplies to kill time.

Surprisingly, the knock on her door came early - a few minutes before the half hour, sunlight still lazily filtering in through the windows. Framed as they were by the setting sun, it was difficult to get a good look at mystery client, but Hyuna waved them in regardless. Hopefully they weren't a murderer. It seemed like a rather elaborate set up.

The bell jingled as they stepped into the salon, softer lighting providing a far better backdrop to admire them. He was clad in a torn up pair of jeans and oversized cream sweater, white shirt poking out from beneath the hemline. His eyes were wide as he glanced around, setting sun catching in his hair to create a golden halo. For a few long moments, Hyuna just stood and stared at him, mildly struck by the apparent turn this situation had taken. She wasn't sure what she had expected from 'Hyojong' but she could definitely say it hadn't been this.

The man in question gave a small cough, stepping closer as he pushed a hand through his hair. Snapping bad to reality, Hyuna turned her most stunning smile in his direction as she shifted some papers around on the counter, hoping for the illusion of productivity.

 

"Hello! You must be Hyojong. You were after a hair appointment, right? Could you give me a few more details so that I can set everything up?"

He had made his way over to the desk at this point, eyes trained firmly on the floor as he gave his reply.

"Ah, yeah that's me. Well um ... mostly I just need to get my hair rebleached. And maybe cut?" he pinched a strand between two fingers, holding it away from his head so that she could see the colour variance between the ends and the roots. "I usually do it myself so it's ... a bit messy."

 

Wincing a little at that confession, Hyuna slid out from behind her desk to take a better look. Home bleached hair was her greatest enemy; the amount of clients she'd had book emergency appointments after their hair went orange or snapped off ... you'd think they'd know better by now.

She leant forward to touch Hyojong's hair, the other unable to hide the small flinch that jerked his body as her fingers accidentally brushed his ear. Glancing sideways to check he didn't seem genuinely distressed, she discovered instead a dusting of pink across the bridge of his nose. He was cute; or at least, he would have been if it weren't for the fact that the hair between her fingers literally felt like heavy duty horse feed.

 

Grimacing as she stepped back, she gave Hyojong a full once over before shooing him towards a chair.

"Sit down. We're going to have to take this slow so that it doesn't fry your remaining hair any further. I'm also going to do a hair treatment on the rest of it free of charge, because I can't stand to think of a cute boy like you walking around with that monstrosity on your head."

Crouching down to grab a bottle of toner from a cupboard, she couldn't see Hyojong's expression as he replied. "That sounds good ... and thankyou, I think?"

Waving it off, Hyuna grabbed the rest of the necessary supplies, setting them down on her trolley before producing a hairdressing cape with a flourish. Hyojong stiffened once again as she leant forward to tuck it beneath his chin, fingers brushing his neck as she snapped it closed.

"You can relax, we might be here a while. Plus I'm not as scary as I seem." she shot him a wink in the mirror, throwing her red hair over her shoulder. The replying laugh was still more than a little unsteady, but she decided to take it as a victory nonetheless.

 

Hyojong was quiet as she trimmed the ends of his hair, very carefully avoiding looking anywhere in the near vicinity of her cleavage (a godlike feat, considering that it was highly impressive and her shirt today was particularly low cut) as his fingers pulled at the rips in his jeans. Upon closer inspection, Hyuna had decided that he was very cute - his skin was surprisingly smooth for someone who clearly didn't invest much in hair care, and he had an entire array of piercings lining the shell of his ears. Plus, it didn't seem like he'd stopped blushing since the second he walked in the door. Maybe she was conceited, but Hyuna could appreciate a man who understood just how gorgeous she was.

Maybe that was why she was playing it up a little - pulling her hair up into a ponytail so that her neck was bare, looking down at him through her eyelashes, adding some extra sway to her hips when she walked. Nothing too serious; she didn't want the poor boy to feel genuinely uncomfortable.  Anyway, with the way his pretty face went all red from just a little flirting, she thought anything more hardcore might actually kill him.

 

It wasn't until she'd started with the bleaching that Hyuna finally got him to start talking again. Gently folding pieces of foil around the colouring strands, she voiced the question that had been bugging her since she first opened the booking email.

"So, Hyojong, why exactly did you need a hair appointment so urgently?"

He seemed a little surprised at her asking, shifting about in his seat for a few moments before he answered.

"Well, I'm a rapper? And I have my first show in a while on Tuesday ... hopefully it'll be a permanent thing. So I figured, I should look nicer probably, y'know?"

 

As excited as she was by this revelation, Hyuna had to remind herself that she was still holding a pot full of bleach and couldn't clap her hands together. She settled instead for meeting Hyojong's gaze in the mirror with a stunning smile.

"A rapper? That's amazing! I always wanted to be a singer when I was a little girl - I wasn't too bad at it either honestly, but I just didn't quite have the temperament to be a trainee or the like. Do you perform very often?"

Blinking up at her reflection, he hesitated before giving his reply, a little more spirited than the last.

"No, actually ... usually I just post my tracks online. But that doesn't pay too great, or like at all, so I recently realised I need to start doing more actual shows. Which is why this one is, uh, quite important."

 

Nodding along at his words, Hyuna returned to her bleaching as she considered them.

"That must be a lot of pressure. I'd love to come see you perform! Provided that's okay ..." trailing off, she waited for his response, already confident based on his reactions to her throughout the night that it would be in the affirmative.

To no-one's surprise, after a small cough and a lot of shifting about in his chair, Hyojong nodded.

“That would be … cool.”

 

Hyuna rolled her eyes at his nonchalant expression, resolutely _not_ dwelling on the cute way his lips quirked up as he wrinkled his nose.

 

☆★☆

 

As she'd predicted, the entire bleaching process took a few hours; by the time they were nearing the end of the session, Hyojong was far more relaxed, languishing in his chair and dropping weird little jokes that Hyuna couldn't help but laugh at. She was ... surprisingly enamoured. As she parted his hair to blowdry it in sections, she realised she was relieved she had an excuse to see him once again. Maybe it was just because it had been a long fucking time since she'd gotten some dick, and now that she was done with him Hyojong looked practically edible - but who knew.

Taking a step back, she admired her work. Gone was the dry yellowed hair and dark roots, replaced with soft white waves. She truly was a genius.

Hyojong seemed impressed too, running his hands through his hair with a pleasantly surprised expression.

 

"Wow it looks ... great. And it's so much softer? Thanks so much." swinging around in the chair, he smiled up at her. "I love it. I'll definitely try to keep coming here, if I can afford it y'know."

Pleased, Hyuna leant forward to ruffle his fringe.

"Aww, you absolute sweet talker. If you do, I'll make sure to give you a discount! But for now, just send me the details for your show." retrieving her phone from a pocket, she held it out to him, only to find that he was gazing back with wide eyes.

"You were serious? You actually want to come?"

With her free hand, she brushed her hair off her shoulder. "Of course I do! As if I'd miss a chance to see your cute face another time." she followed her statement up with a wink, before once again brandishing her mobile in Hyojong's direction.

 

The cute boy in question still seemed mildly flustered, but there was a certain resolve in his eyes when he moved to take it from her, hand lingering for a few moments longer than strictly necessary. Once he was done, he handed it back with a smile, face tilted up towards Hyuna.

"I hope you do decide to come. It would be cool to have you there."

 

☆★☆

 

Tuesday afternoon rolled around all too quickly, and Hyojong was practically bouncing off the walls. Or, at least, exhibiting the low energy equivalent behaviour. This, of course, manifested as anxiously tugging at his hair and fiddling with his shirt while he double then triple checked the equipment he had assembled across his bedspread. The cute bartender - Hui - had sent him a run down on what 'Pentagon' had to provide for its performers, and the pickings had been fairly slim. Luckily, Hyojong had been able to call in a few favours to loan the necessary equipment from some friends, but if this became a regular thing he was going to have to drop some serious cash. His bank account was already screaming at the possibility, but he shoved it aside; there would be time for that later.

For now, he needed to finish getting ready. Playing at a new venue in what was basically a glorified job audition was stressful enough alone, but on top of that he also had to worry about the unusually high number of hot people who would be in attendance. The cute purple haired bartender was the first point of fear of course; not that he'd seemed particularly interested. On the other hand, for some reason Hyuna - who Hyojong was still convinced may be some sort of goddess in disguise trying to test him - had seemed to be actively hitting on him. It had potentially been a joke, but that wasn't going to stop him from putting more than a little extra effort in tonight.

Locating his very cool leopard print jacket and shrugging it on, he peered at himself in the mirror. He needed a little more under-eye makeup perhaps. Just to really hit that 'mid death' aesthetic square on.

After a quick touch up he brushed his hair behind his ears, glancing down at the clock on his phone. He still had a few minutes before he had to leave - and his phone was down to 28%. Shit, he should probably grab a charger to take with him. The first point of order, however, was to load all his equipment into two suitcases (one of which he'd had to perform emergency surgery on with duct tape) and ferry it out to the door.

 

His roommate, Wooseok, was munching on what appeared to be a slice of unbuttered toast on the couch as he made his way past. Looking Hyojong up and down, he let out a long whistle.

"Wow hyung, you cleaned up for once. Is that show you were going on about tonight?"

With a pointed role of the eyes, Hyojong aimed a lazy kick at the younger's outstretched legs.

"Yeah, it is. Thanks for the support and all. I won't be home till late, okay? And you know my key is still lost so you'll have to let me in."

 

The answering whine was immediate, but he ignored it as he tugged open the door.

"It's the least you can do, considering you lost it in the first place. Make sure your ringtone is on - I'll text you."

 

Tugging the suitcases behind him, he stepped out into the hallway. It was time to get this bread.

 

☆★☆

 

The bar was still shut when Hyojong's cab pulled up, and he quickly double checked his message from Hui earlier in the week. He was (surprisingly) right on time, and after unloading his cases from the boot, he made his way around the side of the building. There was a figure leant up against the wall outside an open door, and as he came into sharper focus it became clear that it was Hui. Glancing up at the crunching of wheels over the pavement, he nodded in Hyojong's direction before pushing away from the wall, beckoning him closer. Unable to resist, Hyojong ungraceful shuddered his way forward, both suitcases bumping into the back of his legs with every step. Seeming to realise that he was struggling, Hui darted forward, holding out a hand for one of the bags.

 

"Here, let me help."

Doing so had brought him further into the light, and Hyojong could now fully appreciate the fact that he hadn't yet changed into his uniform. He was wearing some sort of striped maroon silk shirt and dark trousers, a subtle swipe of glitter shining across his eyelids. God, he was even prettier than Hyojong had realised last time. From the slope of his high nose to his perfectly shaped lips, he seemed almost unreal in his perfection.

Right now, however, he was shooting Hyojong a slightly odd look, and the blonde realised quickly that he hadn't actually spoken yet. Coughing awkwardly, he nudged one of the bags towards Hui.

 

"Uh, yes. That would be great, thanks. And like, thanks for everything again."

This time, it was Hui's turn to look mildly uncomfortable, gaze focused firmly on his hands as he retrieved the suitcase.

"Really, it's nothing. Let me show you inside."

 

Hyojong wandered after him into the bar, continuing through a maze of corridors that finally opened out into the actual bar space. Hui gestured towards the small outcropping of a stage where a band had been set up last time Hyojong was here.

"That's where you'll be performing. If you need anything just ask me or one of the other staff - I have to go get changed now, but I'll be back shortly to set up the bar."

Slightly overwhelmed by the concept of being abandoned in this strange place, Hyojong gave a small nod nonetheless. There were already a few other staff cleaning tables and rearranging chairs at the edge of his vision, and if worse came to worse, they probably wouldn't eat him for asking for help.

With a shy wave to Hui, he lumbered his way over to the stage, eternally grateful when he was finally able to ditch the cases for the time being. There wasn't long to relax, however - he only had just under an hour to set up and then run through soundchecks. It was time to get down to work.

Somewhere between syncing the bar's speakers with his own mic and trying to get the sound system up and running, Hyojong noticed that the other had returned, busy shifting bottles around behind the bar. He allowed himself a few moments to admire his silhouette, and to mourn the v-neckline of the silk shirt, before turning back to the task at hand.

It was a little uncomfortable shuffling through soundchecks while the bar staff worked around him, but he found some solace in the fact that they all seemed to be entirely uninterested. After mumbling his way through his first few warmups, he finally gathered up the energy to give one full track a test run. The stage he'd been allocated was small, but still significantly bigger than the patch of bedroom floor he usually practiced on, so he figured all would be well. Tugging off his jacket, he placed it aside and set the music to play through.

The first few lines were a little shaky, his tone a little rough, but Hyojong pushed it aside. That's what soundcheck was for anyway, to work out all those kinks. And as he continued, it all seemed to be going smoothly; verses dropping from his lips as he jumped about the stage, face fierce. However, he couldn't help but falter for a few beats when he moved to face the imaginary crowd, only to realise Hui had halted his movements behind the bar. He was leant against the counter, focused on Hyojong's performance, aura so intense it was almost tangible from across the room.

Holding back a shiver - he could dwell on how hot that confidence was getting him later - Hyojong threw himself into the second half of his rap. And if he went a little harder than he usually would in a practice, in the hopes that Hui might be impressed? Well no one could prove it.

He wrapped up with a quarter of an hour left to spare before the bar opened, carefully placing the microphone and earpiece aside until he needed it once again. While the temptation to awkwardly hover next to his soundboard was strong, he almost couldn't help himself as he made his way across the room towards the bar. Hui had his back to the stage, setting out clean glasses so diligently that Hyojong almost started second guessing whether he really had been watching. However, as soon as Hyojong settled on a stool he turned towards him, a small smile gracing his face.

 

"Hello again. Everything okay with the space?"

A rapid nod from the blonde, even as he started to drum his fingers along the counter top.

"Yeah, everything's great, don't worry. I'm just, uh, a little nervous, y'know? Do you think it'd be okay if I could grab a drink? Just to take the edge off ..." he trailed off, not sure how the request would be received - not that he particularly minded if he was denied alcohol, since this was all just a ruse to talk to the pretty boy again.

Apparently it wasn't against protocol to drink on the job, because Hui gave a nod and a smile before moving to grab a glass.

"Rum and coke, right?"

 

Shocked by the fact that he'd remembered his order, all Hyojong could do was nod, unable to find the heart to tell him he wasn't actually that fond of rum. If one panicked wrong order meant he had to drink rum for the rest of his days; well, he would deal with it.

He was fumbling through his pockets for change when Hui returned, gently setting the glass down on the counter. Waving away the crumpled notes that Hyojong offered up, he quirked his lips.

"It's on the house. Provided you don't rat me out." the wink he sent across the bar had Hyojong's heart fluttering in his chest as his hands clutched uselessly for the cold drink. The purple light of the club glinted off Hui's shimmering purple eyeshadow and Hyojong was pretty certain he'd just fallen in love.

 

Lifting his glass to gulp down his alcohol, he prayed that it would cure his metaphorical thirst, especially considering Hui seemed in no real hurry to get back to work. A few long moments stretched out between them before Hyojong caved, searching to break the silence before he fully lost his mind.

“Uh so … my tape! Did you end up listening to it? I guess you didn’t hate it, at least. Or maybe you guys are just really desperate right now?”

With a short laugh, the other waved his worries aside. “Truth be told it was difficult, and I couldn’t listen to the disc you gave me - the last time I owned a CD player was at least seven years ago - but I checked out your soundcloud. I enjoyed most of your tracks.”

Hyojong could already feel his ears reddening at the mental image of Hui bothering to listen to most (most!!) of his songs, staring down at his now-empty drink as he circled the rim with an index finger.

"Oh well, I'm glad that you found them. Actually, uh, the disc I gave you was all my new shit, so if you didn't listen to that then there'll be some stuff you haven't heard in my set tonight ... yknow, if you're interested."

 

When he glanced back up to meet the others gaze, he was surprised to see Hui nodding, genuine interest seemingly colouring his expression. He gave another small smile, eyes curving into delicate lines that made Hyojong's heart feel like it was about to tunnel it's way out of his chest.

"I'll be listening out for them then!" A quick glance at the silver watch circling his wrist and he's pulling a towel from his apron pocket. "There's only a few minutes before we open though, so I should get back. Best of luck performing, and if you need anything feel free to come ask me."

Pulling away from the bar, he gave Hyojong a small wave. Dazed, the other lifted a hand limply before blinking rapidly. There was no time for pining after this practical stranger right now - he could return to that hobby later. Sliding off his stool, he squared his shoulders before striding toward the stage. He was going to pull of his best performance ever and if it just so happened that everyone watching fell in love ... well he wouldn't be complaining.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! This fic has been a labour of love for a while, so I'm very exciting to finally be posting it. Updates might be slow because I'm fairly busy, but I'll do my best to stay consistent


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